Gentle, Effective Periodontics for Children and Teens
The vast majority of periodontal treatment is given to adults. There are circumstances, however, where children and teens will need periodontal treatment, too.
Although children and teens rarely need periodontal treatment for gum disease caused by bacterial plaque, there are occasionally gum and oral soft tissue treatments needed that stem from other causes. There are also treatments performed to assist orthodontics, and some teens can actually receive dental implants for missing permanent teeth.
Below is a description of what we can do for children and how you as parent are included.
Attentive and Comfortable Care
Dr. Setya is highly trained in all procedures that would be needed for children, and provides these services in a gentle and reassuring manner. He takes every measure to make sure your child is comfortable at all times and that both you and your child understand what is being done.
You can sit in on the exam
Dr. Setya conducts a complete new patient exam for all children and teens coming for possible treatment. You are welcome to accompany your child during the examination.
Dr. Setya will hold conference with you after the exam and go over his findings in detail. He will thoroughly explain the treatment options for your child and will happily answer any of your questions. He will also ensure your child is educated enough on what is about to happen so he or she can relax and feel as comfortable as possible.
Procedures Children and Teens May Need
The following are some of the more common procedures Dr. Setya performs for children and teens, as needed:
Helping teeth stay in the right position
Orthodontists take bent or rotated teeth and make them face straight forward as part of standard orthodontic correction. But there are fibers in the gum tissue attached to the root of these teeth that have a “memory,” and these fibers can many times start pulling the tooth back into it’s original rotated position after the orthodontic treatment is completed.
Once the tooth has been straightened into its proper position, Dr Setya will gently sever those fibers using minimally invasive micro-instruments. The fibers in the gum tissue will reattach to the tooth in the corrected position and the tooth will not get pulled back out of place later.
Recontouring the gumline
Occasionally the gums swell up or change their relationship to the teeth after orthodontics, causing the gumline around the teeth to lose symmetry or cover too much of certain teeth. The gum line around the teeth can also be uneven due to genetics.
Dr. Setya uses a dental laser to recontour the gums around the teeth. This procedure properly exposes the crowns of the teeth and makes the gumline symmetrical and aesthetic.
Correcting the frenum
The frenum (also known as the frenulum) is a small fold of tissue that connects two parts of your mouth together and limits the motion of one of the connected parts. You can find the frena in your mouth on the inside center of your lips and on the underside of the tongue.
Too large and strong a frenum under the tongue makes it harder to chew food completely or speak properly. Oversized frena inside the lip can cause the gums to recede from the teeth closest to where the frenum is attached.
Dr. Setya uses a laser or micro-instruments to reduce the size of the frenum and bring it back to its correct size and strength.
Gum grafts to correct recession
Sometimes gums recede under the child’s permanent teeth, exposing the roots of the teeth and endangering their long-term health. Dr. Setya can restore the proper gum line with full, healthy gum tissue using minimally invasive gum grafting procedures.
Learn more about gum grafting here.
Removing excess gum tissue
Gum tissue can be too thick and can cover too much of the teeth, inhibiting the ability to properly clean them and marring the appearance of the smile. Dr. Setya uses a dental laser or minimally invasive micro-instruments to remove the excess tissue and bring the gums back to their proper size.
Dental implants for missing permanent teeth
Sometimes a permanent tooth is lost during the teen years due to injury or other causes. Dr. Setya can place dental implants to replace a teen’s missing tooth providing the teen has physically developed to the point that the jaw is no longer growing.
Dental implants are the strongest, longest-lasting and most lifelike tooth replacement option. They look and function just like normal teeth, and the implant tooth provides the stimulation of the jaw necessary to prevent bone loss from occurring where the original tooth was lost. The implant tooth also prevents bone loss from occurring under teeth adjacent to the implant, thus stabilizing the adjacent teeth and preventing them from shifting out of their proper position.
Learn more about dental implants to replace missing teeth here.
New Patient Special Offer
Exam, X-Rays, CT Scan (as needed) and Consultation
DONATE $89 TO CHARITY
and receive your exam and x-rays at no additional charge.
Receive a thorough examination and friendly, informative consultation. Your appointment will include the following:
- Comprehensive oral examination
- Digital X-rays
- CT Scan (if needed)
- Written treatment plan